Global InformationList of Fordham University commencement speakers information
The following is a list of keynote speakers at the commencement of Fordham University.
Commencement Speakers 1941–present[1]
| Year | Speaker(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Bishop J. Francis McIntyre | [1] | |
| 1942 | Rev. Robert Gannon | [1] | |
| 1943 | Rev. Robert Gannon | [1] | |
| 1944 | Rev. Robert Gannon | [1] | |
| 1945 | Major General Sir Walter Maxwell Scott | [1] | |
| 1946 | Gov. Thomas Dewey | President Truman also received an honorary degree and gave an address but this was not at June Commencement, it was in May | [1] |
| 1947 | Msgr. Ferdinand Vandry | Director of Laval University | [1] |
| 1948 | Rev. Robert Gannon | [1] | |
| 1949 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1950 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1951 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1952 | Msgr. John Middleton | Education secretary Arch of New York | [1] |
| 1953 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1954 | Robert D. Murphy | Deputy Under Secretary of State | [1] |
| 1955 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1956 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1957 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | [1] | |
| 1958 | W.A. Harriman | Governor of New York | [1] |
| 1959 | Cardinal Cushing | [1] | |
| 1960 | Dr. Charles H. Malik | President of United Nations General Assembly | [1] |
| 1961 | Joseph W. McGovern | Fordham law professor and member of NYS Board of Regents | [1] |
| 1962 | Teodoro Moscoso | Coordinator of The Alliance for Progress | [1] |
| 1963 | Sargent Shriver | First Director of the Peace Corps | [1] |
| 1964 | Francis Cardinal Spellman | [1] | |
| 1965 | Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey | [1] | |
| 1966 | Rev. Vincent T O'Keefe | President of Fordham | [1] |
| 1967 | Sen. Robert F. Kennedy | Former Attorney General and United States Senator | [1] |
| 1968 | Leo McGlaughlin | Eulogy and mass for Robert F. Kennedy | [1] |
| 1969 | Sen. Ted Kennedy | Former United States Senator | [1] |
| 1970 | Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan | [1] | |
| 1971 | James Hester | President of New York University | [1] |
| 1972 | Kurt Waldheim | United Nations Secretary General and former Wehrmacht spy | [1] |
| 1973 | Dr. Ernest Boyer | Chancellor of State University of New York | [1] |
| 1974 | Governor Malcolm Wilson | [1] | |
| 1975 | Judge William Hughes Mulligan | [1] | |
| 1976 | Governor Hugh Carey | [1] | |
| 1977 | Thomas A. Murphy | Chairman of General Motors | [1] |
| 1978 | Alan Alda | Actor | [1] |
| 1979 | Zbigniew Brzezinski | National Security Advisor | [1] |
| 1980 | Patricia Harris | United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | [1] |
| 1981 | Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns | [1] | |
| 1982 | Seamus Heaney | Irish Poet | [1] |
| 1983 | Felix G. Rohatyn | Investment Banker and Diplomat | [1] |
| 1984 | Rev. James Finlay | Former President of Fordham | [1] |
| 1985 | Gov. Mario Cuomo | Governor of New York | [1] |
| 1986 | Robert Hayes | Founder of Coalition for the Homeless | [1] |
| 1987 | Alphonse D'Amato | New York Senator | [1] |
| 1988 | Charles Osgood | Radio and Television Commentator and Writer | [1] |
| 1989 | Timothy Healy, S.J. | Former President of Georgetown University | [1] |
| 1990 | William P. Ford | Lawyer and Bond Trader | [1] |
| 1991 | Marian Wright Edelman | Children's Rights Activist | [1] |
| 1992 | Dr. John Brademas | Indiana Congressman | [1] |
| 1993 | Peter Steinfels | Journalist specializing in religious topics | [1] |
| 1994 | Jonathan Kozol | Writer best known for his works on American public education | [1] |
| 1995 | Mary Robinson | President of Ireland | [1] |
| 1996 | Rev. Joseph O'Hare | Jesuit Priest, Civic Leader, and Fordham President | [1] |
| 1997 | Mary Higgins Clark | Author of Suspense Novels | [1] |
| 1998 | Judge Joseph McLaughlin | Judge | [1] |
| 1999 | George Mitchell; David Copperfield | Former Maine Senator; Magician | [1] |
| 2000 | Vin Scully | Sportscaster | [1] |
| 2001 | Bill Cosby | Comedian and Actor | [1] |
| 2002 | Gerald Levin | Mass-Media Businessman | [1] |
| 2003 | Ted Koppel | Broadcast Journalist | [1] |
| 2004 | Tim Russert | Television Journalist and Lawyer | [1] |
| 2005 | John Sexton | Lawyer and former President of New York University | [1] |
| 2006 | Chris Matthews | Political Commentator, Talk Show Host, and Author | [1] |
| 2007 | Willie Randolph | Major League Baseball Player | [1] |
| 2008 | Charlie Rose | Television Journalist and Talk Show Host | [1] |
| 2009 | Tom Brokaw | Journalist and Author | [1] |
| 2010 | Mary McAleese | President of Ireland | [1] |
| 2011 | Brian Williams | NBC News Journalist | [1] |
| 2012 | John O. Brennan | Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | [1] |
| 2013 | Richard Engel | NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent | [1] |
| 2014 | Tino Martinez | Professional Baseball Player | [1] |
| 2015 | Lordina Dramani Mahama | First Lady of Ghana | [1] |
| 2016 | David J. Skorton, M.D. | Physician, academic, and CEO of the Smithsonian Institution | [1] |
| 2017 | Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga; Sen. Chuck Schumer | Salesian and Cardinal of the Catholic Church from Honduras; New York State Senator | [2] |
| 2018 | Dennis Walcot | President & CEO of the Queens Library and former New York City schools chancellor | [3] |
| 2019 | Tim Shriver | Disability Rights activist and Chairman of the Special Olympics | [4] |
| 2022 | Calvin O. Butts | American Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church | [5] |
| 2023 | Stevie Wonder | American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer | [6] |
| 2024 | Joseph P. Kennedy III | United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs | [7] |
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by "Fordham Commencement Speakers 1941-present". Fordham University Libraries. LibGuides. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ Verel, Patrick (May 20, 2017). "Class of 2017 Urged to Face Unsettling Times With a Merciful Heart". Fordham News. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ Morris, Tanisia (May 19, 2018). "Class of 2018 Called to Lead Nation toward a 'More Perfect Union'". Fordham News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Verel, Patrick (May 18, 2019). "Transform Yourselves and You'll Transform the World, Shriver Tells Class of 2019". Fordham News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Kultys, Kelly (May 21, 2022). "'You Are Tomorrow': Fordham Class of 2022 Invited to Transform, Lead the World". Fordham News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Verel, Patrick (May 21, 2023). "Stevie Wonder Performs for Class of 2023, Challenges Grads to 'Be Activists'". Fordham News. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Gosier, Chris (April 12, 2024). "Fordham's 2024 Commencement Speaker Is Joseph P. Kennedy III". Fordham News. Retrieved April 16, 2024.